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Americans spend 146 hours and 20 minutes parked in front of TVs, according to new data from Nielsen. And almost half of all consumers — 48% — now watch videos on the Internet. Typical Internet viewership is 4 hours and 26 minutes per month, up 15% from a year ago.

Netflix customers using computers can now get something that Xbox 360 and TiVo users have taken for granted: HD streaming. However, the fact that Netflix is now apparently making most of its HD titles available for high-def computer streaming doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll actually get the highest resolution on your rig. And, no matter how sharp the picture is, some films will still be just as bad.

It might seem obvious that spending extended amounts of time sprawled on the couch in a semi-vegetative state, chomping on an endless bowl of Cheesy Poofs and expending only the minimal energy required to occasionally flick a button on a remote can’t be healthy. But scientific research has confirmed what your mother told you: spend too much time watching TV, and it’ll make you sick — and maybe even kill you.